Bag with channeled frame



Jan; 1942- G. LAUBENSTEIN 69,212 I BAG WITH CHANNELED FRAME Filed May 14, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George Laubenstein, Madison, "N. J., assignor to 'The J. E. Mergott Company, Newark, -N. J., af

corporation of Delaware Application May-14, 1940, seriain ssaoss 7 Claims; (01. 150-29) The present invention relates to improvements in handbags, purses and similar bags and also to the manufacture of frame sectionslfor such bags. I

An object of this invention is. to produce a bag frame with sharp angular corners, bymaking a frame of one piece of material, thereby producing a neat; sharp and solid corner angle free from open joints, and in which no welding or soldering or auxiliary attachments are needed to permanently prevent the frame corners from being bent out of their finished shapes.

Another object is to produce a bag framein which cracking or puckering of the metal in the corners of the frame during the process of manufacture of the same is entirely overcome.

A further object is to produce a bag frame which additional anchorage for the bag material is provided in the framecorners to eliminate any possibility of the said material being'pulled out of the frame corners during use of the bag.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other'objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the novel method, construction and arrangement-of-parts herein described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawingforming apart hereof and which shows, merely for the purpose of illustrative disclosure, a-preferred embodiment of the I invention, it being expressly understood that various changes'may be made in practice within the scope of the claims without digressing from the inventive idea. N

In the drawing, in whichsimilar reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 illustrates in perspective a metal strip blank which subsequently forms a bag frame member. J v r Fig. 2 illustrates a face view of the main body of the frame section after the strip has been channeled but before the latter is bent to its angular relationship. i Fig. -3 illustrates a perspective face view of two framesections assembled in pivoted relationship and each comprising a main body -and its pivot members bent at right angles to said main body, the partsbeing secured in their angular relationship by means embodying principles of the present invention.

, Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3 viewed in the direction of the arrows and illustrating in detail the means for securing the main body and one of its pivot,

members in desired angular relationship.

Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig.4 showing an intermediate position of the parts during the bending to the form shown in Fig. 4. s .Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary sectional view taken along line "5-5 of Fig. 4 and viewed in the di-, rection of the arrows.

, Fig. 6 is anenlarged side elevation of a corner of a completed bag embodying frames of this invention with the bag covering. material in place on said frame'and. partially broken away in the corner to illustrate its 'manner of attachment to said frame. I I v Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1-I of Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, and I Fig. 8 is a'perspective'face view-of a completed bag embodying frames of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the metal strip III which subsequently forms the bag frame member is illustrated in Fig. 1. After being channeled as shown in Fig. 2 it may be defined as consisting of the main body I I and its pivot member l2.

Before being channeled and bent, the strip is provided at the points where it is to be bent with pairs of spaced openings l5 and I6. Openings l5 are triangular and their apices I5 terminate a short distance from the edge I0 of the strip. The bases l5 of said triangular openings 7 extend parallel to the length of said edge I0 Openings [Gare trapezoidally shaped and their larger bases I6 are parallel to but separated from the bases l5 by the separating strips l1- consisting -of the body material of strip Ill. These openings [6 terminate at their outer portions in the edge III of the strip so that said openings l6 are ineffect recessesalong theedge I0 I r The separating strips" are provided on the edges-which face the openings 16 with laterally projecting lugs 18 for a purpose to be hereinafter specified, and shown in the present embodiment as having triangular form with the apices I8 thereof in substantial alignment with'the respective apices I5 of the triangular openings on lines normalto the edges I0 and III of strip ID. Adjacent eachtrapezoidal openings H5 in those portions of the strip l which subsequently form the pivot members l2, the strip I0 is also provided with small openings 2D'shown herein as rectangular and extending parallel to the edges I0 of the strip with their inner marginal edges 20 substantially the same distance 'from the edge It as the base I6 These openings are so admeasured and positioned with respect to the openings 16, that in the ultimately bent and channeled frame, the lugs I8 lie opposite the said openings 20 and project toward the same, all as will be hereinafter described more in detail.

Additional openings 22 may be provided in that portion of the strip which ultimately becomes the main body II of the frame. These openings are so positioned as to lie ultimately in the bottom of the frame channel and so admeasured as to serve conveniently for the attachment of bag clasps or the like.

The opposite ends of the strip II! are provided with integral longitudinally extending lugs 23 and 24 so admeasured and positioned as to ultimately serve when shaped as pivot engaging loops as will hereinafter be described.

After the metal strip III has been provided with the openings I5, I6, 20 and 22 and lugs I8, 23 and 24, it is channeled longitudinally in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 so that the connecting strips I! lie in the base 25 of the channel, the openings I lie in one side wall 26 of the channel, and each opening I5 lies in the other side wall 21 of. the channel directly opposite an opening I5. The edge III of the strip is bent over at right angles inwardly from the wall 26 toward the wall to form the overhang 28 which subsequently becomes the top of the bag frame. At this time the channel base 25 is substantially parallel to the said overhang while the wall 21 extends obliquely from the said base for a purpose to be presently described.

' The lugs 23 and 24 may now be bent to form rivet receiving loops 23 and 24 After the metal strip II] has been channeled as illustrated in Fig. 2, the strip II except for the lug I8, is a part of the bottom wall 25 of the channeled strip and of a width (except at the lug I8) corresponding to the inside of the channel. The main body member ID and hinge member I2 are now bent transversely as indicated at Figs. 4 and 4a of the drawing so as to form a bag frame section comprising a main body member II and an integral pivot member I2 at each end of said body. In this bending, the said strip I! will be doubled or bent upon itself as shown at IT in Fig. 4 and when the hinge member I2 is completely bent at a right angle to the body member 'I I, the double-d up strip I! is, by suitable means pressed firmly against and into locking engagement .with the bottom or channel wall 25 of the hinge member I2 as shown in Fig. 4 and acts as a retaining lug to maintain a neat and sharp solid corner angle in the frame. The lug I8 has itself become partially folded in the bending of the doubled up strip and its apex I8 lies at the end and projects laterally toward the opening 20 injthe side wall 21 of the pivot member I2, the said opening being in alignment with said lug apex I8 The frame so formed is now ready to have bag material attached thereto. To this end, bag material 30 is inserted into the channel with its attaching allowance)? overlapping the side walls 21 in the pivot and main frame members to a sufficient extent as to partially at least cover the openings 2!] in said walls as shown at 30 in Figs. 6 and '7. The walls 2I are then pressed inwardly toward the walls 26 of the frame and under the overhang 2B to'clamp the attaching allowance 30 of said ba material firmly between the inner faces of the walls 25 and 21. The inward bending of the walls 21 of the pivot members causes the apices I3 of the lugs I8 to protrude or project through the openings 20 as shown in Fig. 7. Since the attaching allowance 30 partially overlaps the openings 20, the portion 30 of this allowance is forced through the openings 2|] and firmly clamped therein by the said lug tips I8 This results in additional reinforcement and firm anchorage of the bag material in the frame corners. In addition, the interlocking of the lug I8 with the wall 21 by its projection into opening 20 firmly locks the pivot members I2 and main body portion of the frames in the bent positions of Fig. 4 and prevents effectively any possibility of the unbending or pulling apart of the corners of the finished frames.

' Either prior to or after attachment of the bag material 30 to the frames as described, two of said frame members may be pivotally joined together by rivets II] extending through adjoining pairs of pivot loops 23 and 24 as shown in Fig. 3 and the bag finally finished to present the appearance shown in Fig. 8. 7

Suitable clamps or catches of any well known form may be provided to close the bag.

It is to be noted that the expedient of providing the lugs I8 and openings 20 eliminates the necessity of any soldering, welding or special attachments in the corners as has been a common practice heretofore. The result is a vast improvement in the manufacturing process from the point of view of labor saving, time saving and savings in production costs. The resultant product while cheaper and simpler to manufacture has all the valuable physical characteristics of welded or soldered bags and is capable of withstanding rough usage without danger of being pulled apart or otherwise damaged in its corners.

The provision of the openings I5 and I6 permits the formation of neat, sharp and solid corner angles in which cracking or puckering of the metal at the corners of theframe during the manufacture of'the same is entirely overcome.

I'claim:

1. In a handbag, a bag frame element comprising metal strip having channel shape and sharp angle corners, integral connecting members on said strip in said corners, said members being doubled upon themselves and abutting the bottom of the channel, and integral lateral extensions on said members, the said metal strip having an opening in a side wall of the channel directly opposite each of said lateral extensions, said extensions serving to press bag material into each opening and to anchor said material firmly to said frame element.

2. In a handbag, a bag frame element comprising metal strip having channel shape and comprising a main body portion and hinge portions-extending at right angles from each end of said body portion, an integral connecting member at the junction of each of said hinge portions and said main body portion, each of said connectin members being doubled upon itself and lying in abutting relationship with the bottom of the channel in one of the hinge portions of said strip, and integral lateral extensions on said connecting members projecting toward a side wall of said channeled strip, said strip having an opening in said side wall opposite each of said extensions for reception of the latter, said extensions serving to press bag material into each opening and to anchor said material firmly to said frame element, and a rivet receiving member at the endof each of said hinge portions.

'3. A bag of the character described, comprising a channeled metal frame having sharp angle corners, integral connecting members on said frame in said corners, said members being folded upon themselves and abutting the bottom of the channel, integral lateral extensions on said members located substantially at the folds and extending toward side walls of the channel, said channeled frame having an opening in said side Walls opposite each of said lateral extensions, and bag material having its attaching allowance clamped between the side walls of said frame, a portion of said allowance being engaged by said lateral extensions and pressed into the said openings.

4. A cornered-channeled hand bag frame member comprising a strip of bendable material having a, pair of spaced substantially trapezoidally shaped openings in one longitudinal edge thereof, also having a triangular opening in alignment with each of said trapezoidal openings with the base of each of the triangular openings facing the base of the corresponding trapezoidal openings, connecting members separating the triangular and trapezoidal openings and a lateral extension on each connecting member, the said strip also having additional openings adjacent the trapezoidal openings, said strip being bent into channel form with said connecting members lying in the bottom wall of said channel said strip being bent to form a corner adjacent each pair of triangular and trapezoidal openings giving said bentstrip a general U- shape with consequent closing of each of the said pairs of openings, said connecting members being bent upon themselves and each lying against the bottom wall of the channel with the said lateral projection of each projecting toward a side wall of said channel, and the said additional openings being so located in said strip as to lie in said side wall one directly opposite each lateral' extension.

5. A blank for making a channeled, cornered hand bag frame member comprising a strip of bendable material having a pair of spaced substantially trapezoidally-shaped openings'in one longitudinal edge thereof, also having a triangular opening in alignment with each of said trapezoidal openings with the base of each of the triangular openings facing the base of the corresponding trapezoidal opening, connecting members separating the triangular and trapezoidal openings, a lateral extension on each connecting member lying substantially midway of the connecting member and extending into a trapezoidal opening, and said strip also having additional openings adjacent the trapezoidal openings, each of said connecting members being adapted to be bent upon itself and each of said additional openings being so located as to lie opposite one of said laterally projecting members when said strip has been bent to form said channeled, cornered bag frame member, with one of the said lateral extensions then extending into each of said additional openings to clamp handbag material therein.

6. A bag of the character described comprising a cornered, channeled frame member, said frame member comprising a, strip of bendable material having a pair of spaced trapezoidally shaped openings in one longitudinal edge thereof, also having a triangular opening in alignment with each of said trapezoidal openings with the base of each of the triangular openings facing the base of its associated trapezoidal opening, connecting members separating each pair of triangular and trapezoidal openings, and a lateral extension on each connecting member, the said strip also having additional openings adjacent the trapezoidal openings, said strip being bent into channel form with the said connecting members lying in the bottom wall of said channel, said strip also being bent to form a corner adjacent each pair of triangular and trapezoidal openings with the consequent closing of each of said pairs of openings, said connecting members being bent upon themselves and each lying against the bottom wall of the channel with the said lateral projection of each extending toward a side wall of said channel, and the said additional openings lying in said side wall one directly opposite each lateral extension, bag material clamped between side walls of said channeled frame and portions of said material pressed into said additional openings in the side wall by said projections.

7. A bag of the character described comprising a cornered, channeled frame member, said frame member comprising a strip of bendable material having a pair of spaced openings in one longitudinal edge thereof, also having a second opening in alignment with each of said first-named pair of openings, connecting members separating the pairs of aligned openings, a lateral extension on each connecting member extending into one of the openings, the said strip also having additional openings adjacent each of the first-named pair of spaced openings, said strip being bent into channel form with the said connecting members lying in the bottom Wall of said channel and said strip also being bent to provide a corner adjacent each pair of aligned openings with consequent closure of said pairs of aligned openings, said connecting members being bent upon themselves and each lying against said bottom wall of said channel with the lateral extention of each projecting toward a side wall of said channel, and the said additional openings lying in said side wall one directly opposite each of said lateral extensions, and bag material clamped between side walls of said channeled frame with portions thereof pressed into said additional openings and clamped therein by said projections.

GEORGE LAUBENSTEIN. 

